Introduction via a painful learning experience

[SkyAJK]

Hi Nancy,

 

[DobieLover]

Hello Nancy, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hi, Nancy, welcime to BYC. Well I may have a suggestion for you. My DH and I were already in our 60's when we got chickens and I am a city gal. We tried butchering our cockerels but we were absolutely terrible at all phases of it, even with his mother coaching us. We knew that wasn't going to work. Fortunately for us, we learned there was a Mennonite family not far from us that does butchering of all kinds of animals at a very reasonable price - $2 each for chickens, in fact. So now I take my birds to her in the morning in a dog crate, and pick them up all dressed out in the afternoon. See if you can find a meat processor in you area that will help you. Good kuch to you!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Welcome to BYC! It's nice to meet you!

 

[Tookie]

Hello, and welcome to BYC! Nice to meet you.
I completely understand and feel the same way about culling birds.

 

[OldFarmernan]

Thank you!

 

[OldFarmernan]

View attachment 4107333

Thank you!

 

[OldFarmernan]

Hi Nancy! Welcome to BYC. I'm sorry to hear you got scammed.

As for butchering, I agree. It is very hard to mentally wrap my mind around it. I've been considering meat birds for a while now but didn't know if I'd have the stomach for it. I decided to do a "trial run" on a very human aggressive cockerel that was also rough on my hens when he mated them. I found it *slightly* easier to butcher him because he was so darn mean. It was a tough day but in the end I was proud of myself for having the courage to do it and we had a delicious meal so he did not go to waste. I even used the bones to make stock. I promised my family that I wouldn't name any of the chickens and am always reminding myself they're livestock here on the ranch.

I've heard it gets easier (both mentally and physically) with time.

I wish you good luck!

Thank you for replying. Yes, I agree, no more names!

 

[OldFarmernan]

Howdy, Nancy and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

Thank you for the welcome.

 

[OldFarmernan]

We have talked about butchering chickens past their laying years, and I do see them as livestock, but I'm also attached already to my little chicks and have named them. It's a tough one. When I was a kid, I raised pigs, though, and they were named and butchered in time. What I remind myself is that killing your own chickens for food is infinitely more humane than buying factory-farmed chickens to eat. They lead desperately horrible lives, just like cows on CAFOs. As the farmer we buy beef from says about her cows, "They only have one bad day."

Thank you for replying. I do like the thought-just one bad day!
Warmly,
Nancy